What Are the Odds of Winning 3 Card Poker?

In the casino gaming world for many players, the list of viable gambling picks is limited to only slots and table classics such as blackjack, roulette, craps, and baccarat. However, regarding the latter category of products, one choice often gets neglected. That is the casino poker genre. These are player-versus-dealer card games that utilize poker’s hand-ranking system and can get played at speeds similar to baccarat and blackjack. The category got popularized with the invention and widespread US distribution of Caribbean Studd in the 1980s. But it reached new heights at the tail-end of the 1990s when 3 Card Poker began to take gambling establishments worldwide by storm. That first occurred in the UK before this table pick spread like wildfire in Mississippi, then hitting Reno before reaching the US’ top gaming destinations, Las Vegas and Atlantic City.

A fact that few gamblers know about 3 Card Poker is that it is actually the most successful proprietary table game of all time. Shuffle Master currently owns the rights to it, and it licenses this creation patented by Derek Webb in 1997 to venues around the globe. The chief appeal of 3 Card Poker lies in that it delivers engaging gameplay, potentially progressive payouts, and a competitive house edge. Note that three card poker online game real money options exist, and they are almost identical to their land-based counterparts, available in the RNG and live dealer formats.

Below, a brief examination of the winning probabilities in play at 3 Card Poker get presented, and what gamblers can do to maximize theirs on this underrated casino choice, offline and online.

3 Card Poker Basics

3 Card Poker provides heads-up action between a dealer’s and player’s hands. Each round begins with an ante wager that gamblers must make to signify to the dealer that they wish to participate in a hand. Once they make this wager, they get three cards face-down, as does the dealer. At this point, players can look at their collection and decide if they want to fold or continue in the game. If they choose the second option, they must make a play bet. That is one that is at least equal to their ante. When they do this, they inform the dealer and everyone else at the table that they are ready to put up their three-card hand against the one the dealer is holding. Note that a dealer must have a queen high or better to play. If he does not, ante bets get paid one-to-one, and play ones see no action.

In situations where the dealer can put up his hand against those of players at his table, their card combos get compared, and players with weaker ones lose both their pay and ante wagers.

Virtually all 3 Card Poker game rules allow a Pair Plus bet, which entails that a player will win it if he has at least a pair of twos. It is a standalone wager that pays regardless of what the dealer is holding. And know that different 3 Card Poker tables may have distinct payout structures. The typical ones pay one thousand to one for a Royal Flush, two hundred to one for a Straight one, fifty to one for four of a kind, and twenty-five to one for a full house.

3 Card Poker House Edge

According to gambling mathematicians, the house edge in 3 Card Poker is 3.37% when making the ante bet and 7.27% when gamblers choose to make the Pair Plus wager. That means that the return-to-player percentage of this casino poker variant falls at around 96.7% for internet iterations of this game.

The odds to get a hand boasting three suited cards in sequence in 3 Card Poker is 0.22%. The probability of getting three cards of the same rank is 0.24%, and the likelihood of getting three cards in ascending or descending order is 3.26%. The chance of holding three suited cards is 4.96%, and the odds of having two cards of the same rank is 16.94%.

How 3 Card Poker’s Odd Stack Up

Blackjack often gets mentioned as the most profitable casino choice. That is because it lists a default house advantage of 2%, which can get lowered to 0.5% if players opt to utilize a strategy chart that outlines what moves they should make in specific situations. Only video poker, a genre based on Five-Card Draw, offers a better winning probability at gaming venues and online.

The house edge in craps on don’t pass bets is also pretty sweet at 1.36%, and in baccarat, it is even lower, at 1.06%, when the gambler bets on the banker’s hand. European roulette has the best winning chance concerning little white ball wheel games, and its operator advantage stands at 2.7%, essentially half the edge of its American counterpart.

3 Card Poker Strategy

Regardless of what people may say, there is only one 3 Card Poker strategy that works. That is for gamblers to make the play bet when holding a hand consisting of a Queen-six-four or better. Many gamblers also select to follow through with the play wager when holding a queen and their second-highest card is a seven or higher, no matter the value of their third hand. In these cases, the player has an advantage over the dealer, and it is wise for him to continue playing. In all other instances, the casino has the edge, and folding is the best option.

Side-Bet Options

Various side-bet choices can get found at 3 Card Poker tables, particularly at lower to mid-level venues. These include the 6-Card Bonus and the famous Millionaire-Maker. These are usually wagers that can payout progressive prizes. Yet, they are rarely worth it, as the odds they present are akin to lottery ones, and they usually require a qualifying bet of around $5.

They may be a fun one-off play now and again, but not a wager that gamblers should make with any degree of regularity.

Parting Thought

3 Card Poker is one of the most successful new table games, presenting odds comparable to many roulette choices. It has interactive gameplay and often multiple side bets. Though, gamblers looking to stay ahead of their operators should always stick to 3 Card Poker’s ante/play wager. Also, it is vital to remember that casinos in Macau, Florida, and California have tweaked some of the rules of 3 Card Poker explained above, adding their spice to this casino poker variant.